Fairest
by Ami Ree
Summary: "That is the question that has no answer. There can only be one King and since our Queen will not choose, we have none."


I own nothing from this. (except Estella) All rights are owned by Universal pictures. I'm just borrowing them this one time because I need closure dammit!

_Mirror, mirror on the wall. Who is the fairest of them all?_

Evil Queen- Snow White

Once upon a time there was a princess. With hair as black as night, lips as red as blood and skin as white as snow. When she became an adult, she vanquished the evil Queen who'd held the kingdom in terror for years and took her rightful place as Queen.

The old man leaned back in his chair, trying to ease the aches of his bones. "And under her rule our kingdom has flourished, regained what had been lost from those dark days long ago when Queen Ravenna murdered our King and stole his throne. Queen Snow rules as her father ruled; fair and just."

The small gathering of children around his chair listened enraptured even though many of them had heard this exact tale many times over.

"She's so beautiful." a small girl sighed dreamily. The old man nodded.

"Aye. Our Queen is the fairest in the land. Her beauty is only surpassed by her heart. She is our light when we lived in darkness for years. Everyone loves her, one cannot help but to love her."

"Is it true that everyone is invited to the kingdom for the anniversary of her reign?" And older boy sitting behind the younger children asked. Again, the old man nodded.

"The kingdom will celebrate the tenth year of her reign for a day and a night. In the ten years she has ruled, no one has touched our kingdom."

"It is said that she has the approval and protection of the fairies." Another girl insisted beside him.

"That she is one of the few allowed to travel the Dark Forest unharmed." Another boy spoke up.

"That she tamed a troll by looking at him." another child added.

"Our Queen faced many perils when she escaped Queen Ravenna and went into hiding." the old man told them. "It is very possible that every story you heard is quite true."

"Then why has she not married?"

The children turned around to the new voice. In the back of the circle of children stood a young teen girl. She looked at the old man, her eyes demanding answers.

"If she's the fairest of them all; kind and just and everyone loves her on sight, why has she not married?" she asked again, desperate for answers. "She has a Prince at her beck and call, why does she not make him King?"

The old man tilted his head, focusing on the girl. "Our Queen is so full of love, she cannot give it to only one person." he said.

"That makes no sense." the girl said, stepping forward and around the children. "I understand she loves us all, but there is a difference between loving us and loving him."

The old man turned his attention to the younger children listening to the conversation with interest. "I'm afraid you are too young for this story yet." he told the younger children and smiled patiently at their protests. "I promise when you are older, you will hear the rest of the story. Now off with you , I'm sure there are chores to be done before the celebration."

The younger children climbed to their feet and wandered off leaving the old man, the teen girl and three other older children who were listening. He looked at the four children and motioned for them to draw neared. The girl who'd asked the question sat at his feet preparing for a new chapter in the story. Taking a breath, he started the next chapter of the story.

"When our Queen was a child, Prince William was her playmate. It was understood back then that the Duke and the King had made a match between Snow and William for when they grew to adulthood, they would marry. Queen Ravenna's rise to the throne prevented that. Duke Hammond escaped with William and in the process lost the Princess to the Queen's men. When the Princess escaped years later, Prince William found out and joined the Queen's brother as an archer to find her. And find her he did, under the protection of the Huntsman and a troop of dwarves. It is said that the Queen took Prince William's form to lure Snow White from the others and to tempt her with the poisoned apple. Prince William discovered this and it is said he still blames himself for a betrayal he had nothing to do with. He fears that our Queen still wonders from time to time if he could have betrayed her."

The old man leaned forward in his chair, his eyes on the eyes of the older children. "On the other end, the Huntsman was hired by the Queen to go into the Dark Forest and kill Snow White for the promise that the Queen would bring his wife back from the dead. When the Huntsman discovered the lie, he fought against the Queen's brother and took the Princess under his protection, teaching her how to fight and defend herself. But he is racked with doubt. Everything he has loved and that had loved him has been lost to him so to allow someone to give him their heart so fully, he fears it."

The older children listened with rapt attention, barely breathing for fear that they would miss a word.

"Queen Ravenna poisoned Snow White with a cursed apple. There was not to be a cure. As the stories tell, Snow White was brought back to life by true love's kiss. Both men kissed her, but she only awoke for one."

The old man sat back, his story finished. The children waited a heartbeat for the remainder of the story. Finally the girl who began this asked her second question.

"Which one is her true love?"

The old man smiled, his wrinkled face crinkling. "That is the question that has no answer. There can only be one King and since our Queen will not choose, we have none."

"How can they bear it?" the girl asked, confusion in her voice. "How can Queen Snow hold two men in torment, denying them both what they want. How is that just or kind?"

"In a fortnight, the celebration will begin." the old man told her. "You will see our Queen, her Prince and her Huntsman. And you have your answer."

The celebration was glorious. Inside the castle walls there were lights and strings of colored paper everywhere, revelry, an abundance of food and drink and dancing. Emissaries from other villages came to pay their respects and proclaim their fidelity to the Queen. And through it all the Queen sat on the brightly colored chair, smiling and watching her people celebrate ten years of freedom. As the sunlight waned, the Queen's lady in waiting approached her whispering in her ear. The Queen's face lit up in a beautiful smile and she stood, her eyes fixed on the castle gates.

The young girl from the village who wondered aloud about the Queen's true love watched as trumpets blew and the gates were opened. In rode a small hunting party led by two men; one in full armor, the other in a leather and chain mail breastplate, his long hair tied back. Their faces were alight in laughter as their horses slowed to a trot among the revelry. There was an unspoken brotherhood between the two that was evident to everyone and the young girl recognized them immediately. This was the Prince and the Huntsman.

The Huntsman climbed easily from his horse, patting the animal on the hindquarters as the groomsmen took it. The Prince slid off his horse, nodding to his groomsman who took the reins. Boisterous laughter could be heard in the open area.

"If you would not wear so much armor, it would be easier to move." The Huntsman teased. The Prince merely shrugged and clasped his shoulder.

"Not all of us can hold off an arrow with shear brute force Eric." the Prince joked as he pulled the helmet from his head, handing it to a page. "It seems we have missed much of the party."

The two men walked through the celebration, nodding at some, stopping to speak with others. The Prince stopped at the young girl and smiled kindly.

"Good evening, young one." he greeted her. "What is your name?"

The young girl curtsied low, not used to being spoken to by someone from the castle and certainly not by Prince William.

"E-Estella, you majesty." she stammered. Laughing, he took her hand to help her straighten.

"And are you enjoying the festivities Lady Estella?"

"Very much your Highness."

He gave her a smile and she stared, could not help it especially when the Huntsman joined him, curious to see what had caught his friend's attention. The Huntsman lay a hand on the other man's shoulder.

"I believe our Queen is anxious to see us." he said simply, then turned his attention towards the staring girl. "We beg your pardon."

The young girl watched enthralled as both men approached the Queen's chair where the Queen stood waiting. After a bow from both men, the smile on her face grew wider and she embraced them both , an arm going around each man and pulling them close to her. Not one first, with the other waiting in turn, but equally without shame. Both men accepted her embrace, then took their place on either side of her chair. She listened in delight as they both told their stories, one voice stumbling over the others as the young girl's brothers often did. Easy laughter from all was heard as the celebration continued around them. The young girl crept closer, fearing to be seen but desperate to satisfy her curiosity.

The two men were relaxed, each sitting on small stools beside the makeshift throne, talking animatedly. There was no threat, no wariness, only a bond of brotherhood and friendship she'd seen with many of the older boys in her village.

And in that moment, she saw. She knew.

There was no one true love. The Queen did not hold either of them in torture, neither man was denied anything. They both loved Snow White and in turn shared her love. There was a bond between the three of them that couldn't be broken. What the old man had told her was false, the question as to who was the Queen's true love was evident. Both men were. It did not matter who awoke her all those years ago, she was alive because of the love of both men. That was why the kingdom had no acknowledged King. In truth it had two.

The young girl stepped away, now ashamed with herself to be spying on what seemed to be a private moment. She walked through the celebration, her mind heavy on what she'd discovered. In a quiet section sat the old man watching the celebration and the revelers. His head turned as she approached.

"Do you have your answer?" he asked. She glanced back towards where the Queen sat with her two Kings and then look back at the old man.

"I have." she answered.


End file.
